The Timeless Pleasure of Château d'Yquem
Experience the indescribable pleasure that awaits when tasting Château d'Yquem. This extraordinary wine captivates with its intricate balance and complex flavours that evolve and harmonize over time. Like the lingering silence after a Mozart masterpiece, Château d'Yquem remains on the palate, bestowing a unique and prolonged pleasure. In the poetic words of Frédéric Dard, it spreads out like a peacock's tail, leaving an enduring impression.

Firstly, you notice the colour, which is a touch deeper than recent vintages at this stage. The bouquet is quite honeyed and rich for Yquem at this early juncture, with subtle scents of peach skin, white flowers, and a puff of chalk and frangipane. The palate is viscous on the entry, all about the texture at first, coating the mouth with luscious botrytized fruit. There are touches of Seville orange marmalade, fresh apricot, a hint of spice and passion fruit. This is imbued with impressive depth and weight, perhaps a Yquem that is determined to make an impression after last year's absence. It might not possess the finesse of a top-flight Yquem, but it has immense power and persistence.

This was a year of tremendous contrasts. Spring was abnormally cool and wet, which meant that flowering was very spread out – a factor conducive to complexity at Yquem. Summer was magnificent! Cool weather in September retained the grapes' freshness, whereas summerlike conditions returned in October. The harvest took place under ideal conditions. This 2013 is very "botrytised", with richness and candied fruit flavours. The wine's freshness and power are comparable to 2001 and the degree of botrytis is reminiscent of 2007.